Keep telling yourself that, darling
by Seedyom
Summary: 6 years after AWE, Elizabeth and Will's son is kidnapped. Elizabeth enlists the help of Jack and Barbossa to track down her son. 6 years is a long time to be apart from one's husband, and Elizabeth comes into conflict with her vows. JackElizabeth
1. Chapter 1

Elizabeth tucked a stray piece of Jimmy's hair behind his little ear and kissed his forehead gently. He looked so much like his father. It pained her greatly and gave her hope in equal measures. She had a small piece of Will always with her, but little James was also a painful reminder of his father's absence from her life.

"Mother!" the boy whined, eager to go out and play.

"Alright then, off you go."

She watched him trot outside with his little wooden sword and run down the path toward his best friend Johnny's house. A small sigh of relief escaped from her mouth once her five year old son made it to his destination safely.

Wanting to give her son a better life, Elizabeth had moved to Anse la Raye, a fishing village on the island of St. Lucia, to be away from pirates, curses, and monsters. If she were to be honest, she'd admit that such a quiet life left her restless.

As she looked toward the sea, she subconsciously began humming, and eventually she began to mouth the words and then sing, "Yo, ho, haul together, hoist the Colors high. Heave ho, thieves and beggars, never shall we die."

Oh how she wished to be at sea, adventuring with Will and Jack or even Barbosa once again. For the tiniest bit of a second she thought she caught a glimpse of a black speck on the horizon and felt a surge of hope for the arrival of the Black Pearl and whoever its captain would be now. The way Barbosa and Jack squabbled over the ship it was never a settled matter.

"Oi!" A figure suddenly blocked her view of could have been the Pearl. "Lizzy-beth, I was on me way to the shops, and I was wunderin' if ye needed anything at all."

Elizabeth's neighbor, Jonathon Cliffton, a simple farmer with a glaring infatuation, stood in front of her, slightly flushed and beaming a polite smile.

"No thank you, Mister Cliffton, but I do appreciate the offer." Elizabeth spoke with all the civility of a Governer's daughter.

"Ye sure? I hear John Porter's brought in a whole new batch of yellowfin. Ye ought te get it when it's fresh."

"I'm sure, but again, thank you," she hurriedly told him, trying to peek over his shoulder for a better view of the ocean. Finally he tipped his hat and left her alone, staring at the horizon but seeing nothing but the endless expanse of blue.

"Damnit! Damnit all to hell!" Elizabeth cursed and pulled up her skirt, dashing toward the beach. Her brow furrowed with further disappointment. Still she saw nothing. Nothing on the water, and nothing beached on the sand. But perhaps the boat had swung round to the western harbor. Though she knew that she could not join them, she still longed to see the grimey faces of her pirate friends, and her feet could not carry her fast enough.


	2. Chapter 2

Captain Jack Sparrow approached the dock master, and handed him a purse filled with gold coins.

"Captain John Smith here to tie up me ship." Sparrow grinned widely, exposing several gold teeth. "Watch over it for me will you?" He didn't wait for a response before he clapped the man on the back. "That's my good man."

"Now what do we have here?" Jack surveyed the small fishing village that they had arrived at, before re-checking his compass which was resolute in its direction. "Very odd. Very odd, indeed."

"Are you sure we've come to the right place, Jack? This doesn't look like any sort of treasure-hiding location I've ever seen before." Gibbs eyed the compass suspiciously. It always seemed as though the magical item were leading them astray.

"I'd have to agree with your observation, Mister Gibbs." He held a hand over his eyes and squinted into the town. "But maybe that's the genius of it. Those crazy monks might've hid the key in plain sight where no one's looking."

"But Captain, if the key is in plain sight, then wouldn't someone find it?"

"That's precisely why _I'm_ the Captain and you're not. I know how to think like those deft treasure hiders." Jack tapped his head to emphasize the wisdom of his words.

Jack held the compass out in front of himself and began taking big steps in its direction. "Excuse me. Pardon me. Out of the way, sir. My apologizies, madam." Jack murmured to the people he was nearly running into as he made his way through a busy fish market.

Jack's route began winding back on itself as if the desired key were moving. "This simply will not due." He turned back at shouted at his first mate who was quite as ways behind him, struggling to keep up, "Gibbs, perhaps another course of action should be pursued. If our target is moving this could take a while."

Gibbs caught up with the Captain and panted vigorously as he waited for instructions. "Sir?"

"Perhaps, you could talk to the people here and find out what you can. Maybe they've seen a suspicious looking Friar with a key about his neck."

"Aye."

Gibbs scanned the marketplace and spotted a group of men talking next to a fish vendor.

"It's sad to see a woman of such beauty wasting her good years. Loyalty and fidelity are virtues to be sure, but there comes a point. I mean, 5 years? Come on! Her husband's either dead at sea or run off with some other woman," one of the men spoke excitedly as Gibbs approached.

"And she has a child to look after, what is she going to do when her money runs dry?" Another added.

"I tried proposing marriage, but she won't have me. Still, thinks the bastard will return," Jonathon Cliffton commiserated with the other scorned suitors.

"Excuse me, sirs, have any of you men heard of _La Arenas del Tiempo_? The Sands of Time?" Nothing. "Legend has it that the monks hid an hourglass with the power to control the passage of time in one of their tombs."

Gibbs still received silent and curious stares from the group of men and coughed nervously before continuing.

"The journeys of our industrious crew have led us here, to Anse La Raye, for the key to said tomb. Gibbs opened his arms about a half a foot, "Have any of you seen a key about this long and this wide, with markings on its circular face so terrible as to frighten Spirits back to the land of the dead?"

Jonathon Cliffton shook his head. "No, I don't believe I have. But perhaps ye could try Little John, he deals in exotic items, pirate treasures and such."

"Where may I find this Little John?"

Meanwhile, Jack was wandering around the outskirts of the village, looking for a small church or cloister that may have been built away from the hustle and bustle of the marketplace. He was about to give up on his search when he began to make out the sound of a woman humming a familiar tune. He moved toward the voice, his legs becoming unsteady as he identified the song. His fingers fumbled for the compass…

Suddenly two young boys about the age of four blasted past him holding little wooden swords and laughing. They seemed oblivious to Jack's presence due to the excitement of their duel.

"Surrender now, ye pox-faced kraken or we'll rip and burn yer Jolly Rogers!" the dark haired boy shouted at the blond boy.

Klack. Klack. Klack. Their swords connected thrice.

"Ye won't get me treasure, ye scurvy swab!" The blond boy returned.

Klack. Klack. The blond boy received a swipe across his side.

"I got you there. You're morally wounded." "No, it was superfiscal. You only got my shirt."

The boys argued back and forth calling the other a cheater. Sparrow smiled and stepped forward to intervene. He liked children, their maturity and sense of logic weren't so different from his own, and he couldn't help but get involved in a game of wits.

"If I may be so bold as to interrupt."

The little pirates grew silent as they turned to look at the very-real pirate in front of them. The brunette boy was visibly frightened, but the blond was defiant.

"Who are you?"

"A man what survived more swordfights than you young rascals can imagine, and I'm afraid you both are going about this all wrong"

"You're a p-p-pirate?" the brunette stuttered.

Sparrow leaned in close to the boys with conspiring expression. "Aye."

The boys had nothing to say to that, so he continued. "What's your name lad?" he asked the blond.

"James Turner, and this here is Johnny Applebottom." The young Turner pointed to his friend.

"Of course it is," Sparrow laughed. It seemed like everyone in this small village was named some form of John. Wait a second. "Oh Bugger! Did you say Turner?"  
Jack now realized that the boy did have remarkably familiar features.

"Ye- Aye," the boy changed to the more piratey word. "Maybe you met my daddy. He's always at sea."

"I hope you're daddy hasn't met any pirates. They kill people when they board other ships." Johnny Applebottom corrected the young James, who didn't yet understand the villainy of pirates.

"Would his name happen to be William? And his ship the Flying Dutchman?" Jack wanted to make sure before he ran screaming for the hills.

"I don't know about the ship part, but mommy does call him Will," James wasn't sure whether he should be excited or concerned that this pirate knew his father's name.

"And your name comes from a certain honorable Admiral who died protecting your mother, a certain distressing damsel who hails from the house of Swann," Jack's words tumbled out fearfully.

"She hails from swans?" James asked confusedly.

"Never mind that. It was nice to meet you both. I'll be on my way now." Jack said, backing away. "Give my regards to your mother."

Jack suddenly understood what had happened. The compass had been once again thrown off course by the Governor's daughter. He cursed her for her ability to remain on his mind after all these years. He cursed her for still being the thing he wanted most.

He tipped his hat and began running as fast as he could. Where was that blasted first mate of his…


	3. Chapter 3

Little John's shop was tucked away in a back alley, so inconspicuous that Gibbs first thought he made a wrong turn somewhere. The shop itself was filled with various odd wares. There was a ship's helm here, a rotting wooden treasure chest there, and other pirate memorabilia that would easily be classified as junk strewn about in unorganized piles.

Little John walked out from behind a torn sail, "Ye looking for anything in particular?"

"People tell me you're the man to see," Gibbs spread his hands again to a half a foot and was about to ask about the key. "There's a key about this long that-"

Jack rushed inside, "There you are! We need to leave. Now? Savvy?" Jack began ushering Gibbs towards the alleyway entrance, back to the pearl.

"Jack? Jack! I think this is the man we've been looking for," Gibbs resisted Jack's efforts. "He deals in exotic items, probably has the key."

Sparrow ushered Gibbs a few feet away from Little John. "The key isn't here."

Gibbs didn't understand. "But Captain, I've yet to even ask him."

Jack spread his arms out wide. "There's no key on this God-forsaken island."

"What about the compass, Jack?"

"It lied. It wants to kill me."

"It wants to what? You're not making any sense. You want the Areñas Del Tiempo. The compass points towards what you want most. The compass led us to Ansa La Raye. Therefore, the key to our treasure lies here." Gibbs was proud of his reasoning, "I'm sure whatever trouble you've managed to get us into can wait a few seconds. Let me just go back and ask –"

"No! We need to leave now! The compass made a mistake! I was in the mood for yellowfin tuna and the compass accidentally led us here, but now that I have sated that hunger it's pointing to the sea once again." Jack lied. He didn't want to admit the real reason for their detour.

Jack guided Gibbs back to the ship, hoping that his compass would point true now, even though he hadn't resolved anything with Mrs. Turner.

By the time he had reached the dock, Jack was feeling quite reassured. Therefore, he wasn't prepared to find Elizabeth standing beside the Pearl. Upon seeing her, Jack jumped back and hid behind Gibbs.

"Get rid of her."

"Get rid of who?" Gibbs had yet to recognize the woman staring longingly up at the Pearl and was baffled by Jack's ridiculous behavior.

"Leaving without saying hello?" Elizabeth asked before turning slowly to face them. A large grin spread across Gibb's grimey face as he realized who she was, just as a grim scowl distorted Jack's features. Captain Sparrow had hoped to he could make it back to sea without having an encounter.

"Elizabeth Turner as I live and breathe," Gibbs rushed forward and gave Elizabeth a bear hug.

Elizabeth wholeheartedly returned the hug. "I've never been happier to see you, Mr. Gibbs."

Jack cleared his throat loudly. Gibbs pulled out of the hug, unsure of what he had done to anger him. "Er, Captain?"

Jack turned to the ship without even looking at Elizabeth. "Mr. Gibbs. We have a need to make sail at once. Now off with ye—"

"Jack!" Elizabeth shouted, her voice cracking. She sounded as if she were near tears. Why was Jack ignoring her? After five years of separation, Elizabeth had expected a heartfelt reunion, or at the very least some harmless teasing and sexual innuendos. She certainly hadn't expected coldness.

"Mrs. Turner," Jack offered Elizabeth a smile devoid of any real cheer, "So good of you to see us off."

"I thought we might catch up. You could tell me of your adventures at sea, searching for treasure and battling with Barbossa, and I could introduce you to my son, James. He would get a real kick out of you." Elizabeth tried to melt his cold exterior with her sweetness and laughter, and for a moment, she saw it working on him.

For a moment, she saw real affection and happiness in his dark-lined eyes, but it vanished when Gibbs interrupted.

"Jack?" Gibbs returned from preparing the crew, "we're ready whenever you are, Captain."

"I'm afraid we can't stay a moment longer. Really wish we could, but we can't, so…" Jack offered out his hand, to shake hers good-bye.

Elizabeth stared at his outstretched hand in disbelief. "No! I haven't heard from you in five years. For all I knew you could have been—"

"Dead?" Jack interrupted. "So sorry to disappoint you, love."

He moved to board his ship but Elizabeth stepped in front of the boarding ramp, blocking his path. "I can't just let you go like this. Can't you just stay for one day? One night?"

Sparrow raised his finger in the air, but his words lacked the gusto of the gesture. There was no denying that he truly wanted to spend a bit of time with her. "I'm very sorry love, but it wouldn't do to let someone else get to that hourglass before me."

Elizabeth raised her eyebrow and played her trump card. "I'm cooking a pot roast."


End file.
